Presented by Patrick Lane, WICHE This webinar focuses on why reengaging adult learners (particularly those with some college credit but no degree) is such an important part of any metropolitan strategy to increase degree attainment. With demographic and workforce projections showing that the traditional education pipeline will not provide sufficient students to meet the future needs of employers, bringing back adults who have started but not finished a postsecondary credential is crucial. In addition to focusing on the need to serve these potential students, the webinar also shares promising strategies to develop collaborative relationships with other stakeholders to increase degree attainment.

1. Adult Learners: A Key Piece of the
Completion Puzzle
Patrick Lane
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)
November 1, 2013

2. What is WICHE?
Promotes
access and
excellence in
higher
education for
all citizens of
the West

3. So…what is it, exactly, that you do?
The Adult College Completion Network
Overarching goal: Share promising policies
and practices among all stakeholders to
increase degree and certificate completion by
adults with prior college credit

4. The Adult College Completion Network
Nationwide collaborative learning network
Partnering with:
State higher ed agencies
Metropolitan-based projects
Workforce-focused organizations
Economic development organizations
Institutions
Non-profits
“Etc.”
Funded by Lumina Foundation
www.adultcollegecompletion.org

5. The ACC Network assumption
We can’t reach our ambitious attainment
goals through improvements in the traditional
education pipeline alone.

6. Why educational attainment matters
Workforce needs
Economic competitiveness
Individual income gains
Civic improvements (crime, civic participation, health care
costs)
Estimated 2020 degree/certificate shortfall: 5 million
(Source: Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 2012)

7. Why can’t we get there by fixing the traditional
pipeline?
“Graying” of our workforce
Relatively high educational attainment of the generation approaching retirement
An increasingly knowledge-based economy
No projected growth in high school graduates
If states all improved their “traditional pipelines” to the average of the top 3
performing states, we’d still fall short of our 2018 workforce needs by 3 million
workers with postsecondary education.
(Sources: NCHEMS, Georgetown CEW, WICHE)

8. ADULTS WITH SIGNIFICANT
COLLEGE CREDIT

9. “Near completers,” “stopouts,” “ready adults,” etc.
“Significant college credit” but no degree
Specific definition depends on city, state,
institution, organization, etc.
“Low hanging fruit”

10. What do we know about near completers?
Census data limited to “some college, no degree” category
Not “first time, full time” students
Institutions and state systems may not track near completers
separately from adult students
In short, data are limited.

11. Background Demographics: National
Longitudinal Survey of Youth
Variables
HS
Diploma
Assoc.
Deg
Bach Deg.
Above
Bach.
Near
Comp.
Income (2010)
$41,324
$48,560
$77,395
$103,416
$49,902
Library card
(1979)
68.6%
73.4%
83.3%
86.2%
77.9%
Mother’s Educ.
10.6
10.7
12.5
13.1
11.7
Father’s Educ.
10.6
10.9
12.9
13.3
11.8
Source: WICHE Analysis of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979

12. Near completers: Background demographics
Variables
Poverty line
(1979)
ASVAB Score
HS
Diploma
Assoc.
Deg
Bach Deg.
Above
Bach.
Near
Comp.
23.3%
20.3%
10.9%
11.2%
18.5%
36.1
44.8
63.8
70.5
48.9
Source: WICHE Analysis of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979

13. What conclusions can we draw from this?
First the caveats: One data source, preliminary
analysis, etc.
Near completers are as expected on most
college access/success predictor variables
Depending on the year, near completers (as
defined!) are 6%-10% of the sample

14. WHAT ROLE CAN CITIES PLAY IN
ADULT DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE
COMPLETION EFFORTS?

15. Credential completion: That was then…
Institutions of
Higher Ed
State Higher Ed
Agencies
Improved policies
and practices
Improved policies
and practices
Increased degree
completion

16. …this is now
Institutions of
Higher Ed
Local
employers
National
employers
Workforce
Agencies
State Higher
Ed Agencies
Economic
Development
Agencies
Increased credential
completion
Business
organizations
Education
providers
Community
Organizations
Local
Government
Chambers of
Commerce
National
Organizations

17. Connections with cities
Institutions of
Higher Ed
Local
employers
National
employers
Workforce
Agencies
State Higher
Ed Agencies
Economic
Development
Agencies
Increased credential
completion
Business
organizations
Education
providers
Community
Organizations
Local
Government
Chambers of
Commerce
National
Organizations

18. What do we know about collaborative efforts?
Collective Impact: The hot topic
The commitment of key stakeholders from different
sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific
social problem.
Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2011

19. Why do some collective efforts succeed, and
others fail?
Factors associated with success:
Common agenda & metrics
Continuous communication
Backbone support organizations
Establishing “professional” trust and cooperation
Joint planning
Interacting with the target population
(Sources: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2011; Turrini, et al., 2010)

20. Some commonalities, in the form of questions?
Who is leading the initiative?
What is the goal?
Why are we pursuing this?
How will we reach this goal?
How and when do partners meet and
communicate?
How will we know if we are successful?

21. WHAT’S WORKING – MARKETING
AND OUTREACH

22. Outreach approaches
Adult students are a diverse bunch…no one
size fits all approach.
Data mining and direct targeting
Publicity-based campaigns
Formal advertising campaigns

23. Outreach approaches: Messages that resonate
Intrinsic:
Others are in the same situation
You can find a school that’s the right fit for you
You can finish what you started / You’ve started, it’s time to finish
Schools empathize with the sacrifices of returning
Schools care about returning students
Extrinsic:
There are personal financial and economic benefits to returning to complete a
postsecondary degree
“The more you learn, the more you earn”
Your degree may be closer than it appears
College might be more affordable than you think
(Sources: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, University System of Georgia, Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities)

24. Marketing examples—Georgia Billboard

25. Marketing examples—Georgia Billboard

26. Marketing examples—West Virginia

27. Communicating externally: Market research (cont’d)
EXAMPLES:
Minnesota, West Virginia, Georgia
PSAs, billboards, radio spots, etc.
www.adultcollegecompletion.org/mktingCommunications
Challenge: Evaluating effectiveness

28. Building stakeholder support
Another form of outreach and marketing
Decision-makers aren’t always data-driven
Communicate with data and stories about
constituents, employees, students, etc.

29. ENGAGING HIGHER ED

30. Key policies and practices
Prior learning assessment
Competency-based learning
Lowering the cost of credentials
Collaboration between workforce and higher ed
Effective and relevant adult advising
Etc., etc., etc.

31. ENGAGING EMPLOYERS

32. Employer partnerships: Promising strategies
What support can businesses provide throughout the
path to completion?
$
Identify interested potential students
Conduct outreach, marketing through HR departments
Provide classroom space
Allow flexible work schedules
Include education goals in employee reviews
Reward completers with increased responsibility and
promotions
Evaluate company training through ACE CREDIT program
Provide tuition assistance

33. Return on investment
Tuition assistance
Tax-free
Lowers recruitment costs
Increases retention
Verizon: Estimates $25 million savings through
LearningLink
“Assistance” > “Reimbursement”
14% usage rate vs. 5%
Sources: Corporate Voices for Working Families, CAEL, Chief Learning
Officer

34. Examples of employer partnerships
Maine Employers Initiative
http://www.mdf.org/mei_overview.php
WorkforceChicago:
http://www.workforcechicago.org/Exemplary-Practices.html
Greater Louisville Degrees at Work
http://www.greaterlouisville.com/degreesatwork

35. A final word: Evaluation
A better final word: “Knowing what works”
Difficult, expensive, and sometimes
inconclusive
But better than investing in failure

36. Knowing what works
Adult Enrollment
Project X in City Y
Project starts
Yr. 1
Yr. 2
Yr. 3
Yr. 4
Yr. 5

37. Knowing what works
Adult Enrollment
Project X in City Y
Data from City Z
Project starts
No project
Yr. 1
Yr. 2
Yr. 3
Yr. 4
Yr. 5

38. Adult Enrollment
But in collaborative networks…
Project starts
Project X in City Y
Data from City Z
Data from City A
Project starts
Project starts
Yr. 1
Yr. 2
Yr. 3
Yr. 4
Yr. 5

39. The final final word
Comparison is crucial, not for competition, but
for knowing what works
Sustainability
Investing in successful programs
Networks with projects starting at different times
are naturally set up for comparisons

40. Resources & contact info
Going the Distance in Adult College Completion:
Lessons from the Non-traditional No More Project
www.wiche.edu
WICHE’s Adult College Completion Network
www.adultcollegecompletion.org
CONTACT INFO:
Patrick Lane
303-541-0266
plane@wiche.edu